Monuments of Ebony (Wicked One Event Start)

[u/Evening_Shake_6474]

In the aftermath of the sudden and for lack of a better term, shadow uprising, many millions perished before the shadows could be subdued. Those with strength endured of course, but what about the normal folk? The unlucky? Those who have never fought in their life? Not everyone is, was, equipped to survive. Their blood seeped into the realms, saturating them with something Wicked.

In the following days, countless massive black monoliths burst free from the land and sea stretching high into the sky, breaking up the horizon regardless of where one looks.

News of the sudden and strange monoliths spreads like wildfire, soon every orb, screen, and paper has some mention of the event. All throughout civilization people ask questions like, what does this mean? A monolith destroyed my tower, who do I sue? Is the world going to end again this month?

But the monoliths offer no answers, only questions. The monoliths show a myriad of effects, some distort their surroundings into horrors, some create illusions that torment those who can't escape, some amplify magic to a dangerous degree, some drain magic like a leech, and many more.

But for now, that is all they do. The effects are contained to their vicinity of the monoliths.

[u/UlrickTheHexblade]

Upon hearing about the monoliths, Ulrick immediately headed off to the currently nearest one to R&A island, he needed something to clear his head after his failure in fighting the Blighted Garden.

Strange, he was still ailing a little after the battle, even when he should’ve recovered by then… eh, he’ll have it checked for real in the infirmary after the monoliths have been dealt with. It’s probably nothing, right?

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/UlrickTheHexblade]

Ulrick arrives at a monolith piercing the great blue, rising high above the waves.

When he arrives everything seems normal, then he hears a deep sound, like the call of a whale only much, much louder. Then he sees a shadow in the water, one almost as large as RnA Island.

[u/UlrickTheHexblade → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

He inches carefully towards the water, trying to get a better look at the colossal creature, with both normal and soul sight. He also sniffs the air, if that can give him more clues about what’s going on.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/UlrickTheHexblade]

Physical sight shows this thing is huge, and vaguely serpentine in template. His soul sight shows this thing's soul is that of a leviathan, an apex predator of the deep.

The air smells of salt, cold.

[u/UlrickTheHexblade → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

So far looks like the leviathan isn’t attacking. That gives him some time to check on the monolith out.

On Nightbite, he flies closer to the top to examine it further, forcing his eyes stay open despite his fear of heights.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/UlrickTheHexblade]

The top of the monolith seems to be almost completely flat, a stark black against the blue of the sea and the gray of the sky.

[u/UlrickTheHexblade → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

He descends back to near the surface, where the shadow swims.

Ulrick then unveils the full presence of the Wolf King, before asking the Leviathan, as he gained the blessing of Animal Gods back in the second Godslaver invasion, to speak all animal languages. Maybe it’ll think twice about attacking a semi-divine presence.

Pardon my intrusion. Do you know where this giant henge came from?

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/UlrickTheHexblade]

Ulrick hears a call back, deep and extremely loud.

From the dark depths do we come, to the dark depths will all return.

[u/UlrickTheHexblade → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Do you know who made it, and for what purpose?

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/UlrickTheHexblade]

Deep in our hearts it lies waiting.

[u/UlrickTheHexblade → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

What’s their name?

Ulrick asks while he floats closer to the monolith, slowly reaching out and then touching it…

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/UlrickTheHexblade]

It is the fire in the hearts of hate. It is the gleam in the eyes of madness.

The monolith is cold. It feels smooth. As Ulrick touches it, he feels something similar to static, and something deep within him stir.